Slump and forest controls hit Ghana timber sector

In his state of trade announcement, Ghana Timber Millers Assocation chief executive Dr Kwame Asamoah Adam also said the industry had shed around 30,000 jobs in the downturn.

The industry’s problems, he maintained, were mainly the result of “financial and economic crisis”, combined with rising energy costs and high interest rates. But stronger monitoring and control of Ghana’s forests was adding to the pressure and causing raw material shortages.

To combat this, the government is in negotiation to secure log supplies from Cameroon. It has also introduced incentives to encourage development of indigenous timber further processing and added value production.

The Ghana Forestry Commission (FC) plantation programme is also expected to improve the raw material situation. In the meantime, however, the FC is continuing to tighten forestry sector policing still further.

It has set up a “rapid response unit” to combat illegal logging and destroyed illegally constructed building developments and illegal farms in protected forestry areas.

The Ghanaian Forest Research Association has also received World Bank approval for its forestry management, sustainability and investment initiative.

This, it says, could help lead the way to securing US$50m to implement forestry climate change reduction strategies under the United Nations REDD+ programme, which effectively pays countries for safeguarding their forests.